Polymer-free compliant optical member support

Abstract

An assembly for fixing an optical element in a manner that decouples the optical element from mechanical stresses and thermal strains while providing freedom to facilitate alignment of the optical element, and while also eliminating polymers that can cause contamination problems including a mount configured for attachment to an optical system; a plurality of flexible metal members, each flexible member having a first end affixed to or integrally extending from the mount, and a free end defining a bearing surface for supporting an optical element; and an inorganic adhesive joining a surface of the optical member to the bearing surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An assembly for mounting an optical element in an optical system, comprising:
 a mount configured for rigid attachment to the optical system;   a plurality of flexible metal members, each flexible metal member having a first end affixed to or integrally extending from the mount, and a free end defining a bearing surface for supporting an optical element; and   an optical element joined to the bearing surfaces of the plurality of flexible members with an inorganic adhesive.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mount has a ring-shape. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible metal members are integrally formed with the mount from a monolithic metal body. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mount includes attachment features for affixing the mount to an optical system. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mount includes holes for affixing the mount to an optical system. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible metal members are integral portions of a retainer having a ring-shaped wall abutting and secured to an inner circumferential wall of the mount. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible metal members have an inverted U-shape profile. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein adhesion between the optical element and the flexible metal members is enhanced by providing an adhesion promoting coating on the bonding surface of the optical element. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein adhesion between the optical element and the flexible metal member is enhanced by providing an adhesion promoting coating on the bearing surface of the flexible metal member. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein adhesion between the optical element and the flexible metal member is enhanced by providing an adhesion promoting coating on both the bonding surfaces of the optical element and the bearing surfaces of the flexible metal members. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the adhesion promoting coating is comprised of titanates, zirconates or silanes. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the adhesion promoting coating is comprised of titanates, zirconates or silanes. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the adhesion promoting coating is comprised of titanates, zirconates or silanes. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic adhesive comprises metal oxides. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the metal oxides are selected from oxides of zinc, tin, aluminum, indium, iron, tungsten, titanium, silicon, silicon nitride, boron, boron nitride, copper, silver, yttrium, rare earth ions and combinations thereof.